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So, after about 2-3 years of waiting, we finally got the timeline advanced with the newly released at GenCon 2018 book Shattered Fortress... Combined with the new beginner set as well as new box set coming out, along with the success of Harebrained Schemes's video game adaptation, it's probably time to bring back the Battletech thread in Traditional Games. Battletech is a science fiction universe where people pilot 30 foot tall war machines (called Battlemechs) against each other in combat. The starting point for the series was the year 3025, where five factions (and a sixth behind the scenes trying to pull strings) had spent the last 300 or so years beating each other up to try to claim the mantle of First Lord of the Star League, and technology was in decline, so much so that most people would retreat or even surrender after taking serious damage because well, they not only didn't make them like they used to, they didn't make them much at all any more. Starting in 3025, when a mercenary group (The Grey Death Legion) managed to recover a star league memory core, technology has been growing for the last 100+ years, which has provided plenty of reasons for people to go back to shooting each other, including * Two of the five successor states (the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns) joining together to kick the poo poo out of their neighbor Capellan Confederation (The Fourth Succession War) * The Clans (Remnants of the Old Star League Army who left, turned into a "might makes right" genetically enhanced legion over a couple hundred years, and then came back to try to conquer the Inner Sphere to recreate the Star League * The Federated Commonwealth breaking down in a civil war one generation later, pitting brother vs sister (and a hell of a lot of their followers), which only ended when one leader was captured, and the other abdicated both thrones, putting other family members on both thrones. * The Jihad The splinter Word of Blake decides it's time to reintroduce total warfare, pulls a poo poo-ton of warships and nuclear weapons out of it's keister and attacking everyone and anyone. * The Wars of Reaving (all the Clans back home go apeshit on each other, erasing multiple Clans and treating the Inner Sphere as irrevocably tainted) * The Republic of the Sphere becomes the Terran Federation/Word of Blake replacement And now, the dark ages, which just about has everyone fighting everyone, while two of the clans remaining in the Inner Sphere attempt to take Terra and confirm their status as the top dog (or ilClan) 3025 rules are the basic rules of the game, each new age brings new weapons and new technologies, so when you play against someone, the first thing you do is agree to a timeframe because while a 100 ton assault mech like the 3025 Atlas is the king of the battlefield, in its time it's probably way out classed by a heavy mech using 3145 tech. The Five Successor States The Federated Suns (House Davion): It's been feast or famine for the Davions. They were the Marty Stus of the early timeframe, being the obvious good guys with belief in human rights, liberty, personal freedoms and all that jazz. They spent the first 30 or so years beating up the Capellan Confederation and taking their lunch money (as well as their worlds). After the Federated Commonwealth broke down, they ended up being a lot weaker, and the Capellans and Draconis Combine got a little bit of revenge on them, but they may be back on the upswing as they've recently regained a lot of the worlds they lost to the Combine. The Lyran Commonwealth (House Steiner): The other half of the Federated Commonwealth, they also were the big winners of the fourth succession war. They probably have the best economy of all the successor states, but their main flaw is their "social generals", as they tend to promote generals basically on how well they schmooze with the nobles instead of you know, actually leading troops. They prefer heavier mechs, and the running joke that a "Steiner Scout Lance" would be called a 400 ton wrecking crew anywhere else. They made the mistake of inviting Clan Wolf in during the Dark Ages, and then was surprised at their sudden yet inevitable betrayal. The Draconis Combine (House Kurita): The Samurai Successor State. They were one of the "big bads" of the early timeline (written during a time where everyone feared the Japanese would take over the world's economy). They are.. conservative to a fault in their methods and their tactics (basically, hit the opponent as hard as you can. If that doesn't work, get a bigger hammer and try again). Captured MechWarriors or generals who failed to bring the Dragon glory were expected to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) to wash away the shame. They modernized things in the 3050's, when Theodore Kurita took over most of the Coordinator's duties from his father. They've gone back to their old habits in the current timeline and were dealing the Federated Suns a royal beating (including taking New Avalon, the Federated Suns capital world), but recently the Davion's have fought back and reclaimed a lot of their losses. The Capellan Confederation (House Liao): Traditionally the smallest and least powerful Successor State, they held the "villain ball" for the early time frame as they spent most of the Succession Wars losing ground to their rival nations. The Fourth Succession War was the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth coming in and taking nearly 40% of the Confederation's worlds. That changed in the 3050's, where Sun-Tzu Liao took over the Capellan Confederation and basically gave the whole nation a jumpstart with "Xin Sheng" (or New/Rebirth). He made smart alliances, like with the leading Periphery nation, and turned the nation into a powerhouse. Now, his son Daoshen runs the nation, but while he seemingly has some of his father's genius, he's also likely fallen victim to the family's history of mental instability House Marik (The Free Worlds League): When I started to write this section, I wanted to say something cool about every nation. That's kinda hard with the Free Worlds League because, well, they spend more time arguing with each other then really doing anything to other nations as part of the timeline. Part of it is that it's a loose confederation of several smaller states, and their leader has much less power to order their military to attack. So, most of the time, the Captain-General was at odds with the various factions of the League who were looking out for themselves first. The League actually broke up during the Jihad, as it was found out the current Captain-General (Thomas Marik) was a Word of Blake plant. In the current timeline, the smaller nations have taken a bit of a pounding, but the Free Worlds League has reformed (mostly) and looks to be a bit on the upswing. The Clans: When the Star League Army left 300 years ago to avoid being pulled into the Succession Wars, they decided to go far enough away that no one would bother them, and that they could come back and reform the Star League. However, Nicholas Kerensky (son of SLDF leader Alexandr Kerensky), had a synapse fire after some breakdown in what would be the Clan Worlds. He formed 20 animal-totem based clans (such as Wolf, Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, etcetera), and instituted a Might Makes Right society (Political votes can be challenged and overturned in battle). The two major breakdowns between the Clans were originally Warden (those who wanted to protect the Inner Sphere and not interfere unless needed) and Crusader (those who wanted to conquer the Inner Sphere to reform the Star League). Now, the difference is more between the Inner Sphere Clans and the Homeworld Clans (who think the Inner Sphere is irrevocably tainted and anyone who even goes there should be purged). They had a huge technology gap benefit over the Inner Spherewhen they started, but now it's only slightly better then Inner Sphere . As an aside the Clans are their own worst enemies at times. One dispute between two clans (Wolf and Jade Falcon) nearly ended up in the extermination of both Clans, and the Jade Falcons believe in "hard times demand hard choices" (they once killed every single member of their scientist caste rather then determine which members were part of a cabal). Their current leader, (or Khan) is Melvina Hazen, who believes that the best way to settle things is to make mountains of skulls of your enemies. To her credit, it's mostly worked for her and her clan (called the Mongol Doctrine) ComStar: Imagine Scientology combined with AT&T. They hoard technology (they're keepers of the HyperPulse Generators, that allow interstellar communication), and behind the scenes they're trying to make sure that others don't recover technology (they believe that when all the wars end due to lack of technology, they'll take over. They went through a schism after the Clan War, where the guard types formed the basis of Comstar and the hardcore religionists formed.. Word of Blake: Battletech's answer to Al-Qeda/ISIS. They didn't take the schism with Comstar well at all, and were actively working to insinuate themselves into the 2nd Star League. Unfortunately for them, the second star league was short-lived, and they threw a hissy fit. Well, slightly more than a fit.. you see, Word of Blake was the part of ComStar that had kept all that technology from the past, and didn't see anything wrong with bombing everyone back to the stone age with orbital strikes, along with chemical and nuclear weapons. This was called the Jihad (now you know why the reference to Al-Qeda/ISIS. It took a force from all the inner sphere nations and clans to eradicate them, which led to the.. The Republic of the Sphere: Formed by one Devlin Stone, this started as a resistance group on one world, and in the space of the Jihad, somehow became a multi national army. To prevent the Inner Sphere nations from warring over who would control the liberated Word of Blake worlds, Stone formed the Republic of the Sphere, a buffer state right smack dab in the center of the Inner Sphere. The Periphery: The "Wild West" of the Inner Sphere, the Periphery are generally smaller, poorer star nations at the fringes of the Inner Sphere. Most of the time, they just want to be left alone (they're not powerful enough to seriously threaten one of the five successor states), but combined, they had enough power to hold off the entire Star League army for several years before the Amaris coup. Famous Periphery states include the Taurian Concordat and the Magistracy of Canopus (a matriarchal led periphery state that allied itself with the Capellan Confederation to great effect) Video Game Versions: Harebrained Schemes Battletech Computer Game: Harebrained Schemes, led by Loren Wiseman, the original creator of Battletech, released a computer game in 2018 that takes place in the periphery and was pretty successful, enough so that Paradox Interactive have bought them and they intend on continuing to make more Battletech DLC and games. You can see the thread here at SA for that game at : https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3821533&pagenumber=1 Mechwarrior Online: This is the classic Mechwarrior online first person game. Free to play, but unless you like mega-grinding for new mechs and variants, you'll likely be charged many  , They have a single player game (Mechwarrior 5) coming out in 2019.SA Thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3846392&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 MegaMek: Good for online play (and ti handles remembering all the finicky rules for you), and there's also a campaign mode (called Against the Bot). Check it out at https://www.megamek.org/ Rules Versions BattleMech Manual This is the latest release for the system. It has a lot of the rules that Total Warfare does, but it's more focused on big stompy robots shooting each other. If you want to play combined-arms (vehicles/infantry), etcetera, you may want to look at... Total Warfare: the base rule book for the system.. this has all the rules for your giant robits , vehicles, aerospace fighters and what have you to fight each other. However, because the system is rather.. detailed, it starts to break down when you have a ton of units on the battlefield, which leads to.. Alpha Strike: This is a simplified version of the rules, set up to allow large scale play (companies of 12 mechs and more) without issue. As I said, much less detailed then the Total Warfare set, but you can actually do a Company vs Company game in a day instead of a week that Total Warfare would take. The Operations Series I called these the Rabbit Hole books on my group. These are add on books which allow deeper gameplay and variant systems, some of which can be useful but you may not think you need if you just want to do "These robots and these robots fight". Things like how fires spread, campaign play such as running a unit through battletech history, generating random star systems, and even a mode where you can control a major power such as one of the Successor Houses. By themselves, you probably will think "who needs this?" But when those edge cases appear, it's nice to have. But still, grognards will fall down the Rabbit Hole here. A Time of War: The Battletech RPG, to roleplay in the Universe. You think Total Warfare was finicky and etailed with rules. Let's put it this way.. if I wanted to drive someone completely stark raving bonkers, I would have them create A Time of War characters without a spreadsheet. Rumored to be on the chopping block as a new edition of the RPG is supposedly being worked on. They used a lifepath system which shadowrun 5th edition would later mimic in parts, but creating a character can take forever and a day. SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Aug 12, 2018 |
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Aug 8, 2018 04:35
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LeSquide posted:Planning to cover Alpha Strike as well? yeah, there needs to be sections on the Periphery and the Time of War/Alpha Strike as well.
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Aug 8, 2018 05:43
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Anything else you guys think should be in the OP?
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Aug 8, 2018 05:46
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Things that I would put in the OP if it already wasn't big enough... Wolf's Dragoons: Sent by the Clans to provide intelligence on the Inner Sphere before a planned invasion, it was safe to say they caused a stir when they showed up out of nowhere. Basically, they showed up with something like 5 regiments of Star League Equipment and offered themselves out to hire. It was like Blackwater showing up with several regiments of Modern Day technology during World War II and saying "Hey, this is what you guys use, right?". They broke away from the Clans to protect the Inner Sphere, and have had an illustrious if checkered history (they were nearly destroyed multiple times, during the Fourth Succession War (against the Draconis Combine when they tried to co-opt the Dragoons, leading to Takashi Kurita's infamous "Death To Mercenaries" order), the Dragoon Civil War (where factions in Wolf's Dragoons slugged it out in a succession dispute), and then just about completely in the Jihad (when the Word of Blake showed up and pretty much nuked Outreach back to the Stone Age). Currently, they're rebuilt to several regiments and are back working with the Draconis Combine (proving that time heals all wounds) Kell Hounds: Wait: So you're saying that any decision of the Clans can be reversed because someone's better at Fighting? Correct. Any decision can be challenged in combat. So, for example let's say Clan Furry Wombat (no there's no clan Furry Wombat) wants something, and in a vote the warriors go 2/3rds agreement, and 1/3 against it, if the 1/3d side wants to contest the vote, then they challenge the vote to a Trial of Refusal. They don't have great odds (the forces allowed are equal to the vote margin, so in this case, the force supporting the vote would have double the forces of the force against the vote. Whoever wins the trial gets their way. The Clans pretty much settle everything via trials, so the trial on say, being a Trinary (15 Mech-equivalents) is based on a one on one duel between the two people contesting the rank, not their actual ability to command the trinary. So, the Clans breed for individual combat glory, but great mechwarriors do not always make for the best leaders. Websites (example, Sarna.net, which is the TVTropes of Battletech, meaning you can look up some historical battletech info and then spend the next 3 hours going through the rabbit hole of Battletech History) Alaric Wolf Yeah, that's going to be a soap opera explanation. "Well, his biological mother and father warred over two Successor States, and his mother was so pissed off that she lost that she used her genes and his genes to create a son to spite him. Oh yeah, and the biological mother and father? Brother and sister. (insert Deliverance Banjo here) SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Aug 9, 2018 |
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Aug 9, 2018 07:35
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Yeah. I'm glad it looks like Btech FINALLY has some forward momentum. Updated the OP.
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Aug 12, 2018 06:00
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RocknRollaAyatollah posted:Was there any Usenet complaining when Smoke Jaguar got smashed? I can't wait for the talk of betrayal to the fanbase that comes up when they actually start doing something with the setting/metaplot again. One of the personalities there was a big fan of the Capellans, and she wasn't happy about the way the Cappies were treated.. (although it was funny, a friendly duel she had with one of the BTech designers at the time led to Gausszilla being a thing)
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Aug 21, 2018 07:02
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So, in vidya game news, they announced the first DLC for the Battletech computer game, including multi mission chains (called Flashpoints) and a new mech (the Hachetman) Now if we can just convince Paradox to buy the pen and paper rights. 
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Aug 21, 2018 22:17
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Yes.. the chaos reach was the basis of the republic of the sphere. Clan diamond shark moved to the inner sphere and changed their name back to sea fox. They're now part of the clan protectorate.. nomunally they are house Marik but they trade with everyone. At the end of the refusal war.. the Jade falcons tried to absorb the rest of the wolf clan after killing Ulric Kerensky by means of ambush. Considering the Jade Falcons had acted to "restore Kerensky's vision, this was a major no-no) Since Vlad (who was Ulric's second in command) was found to be alive, he blackmailed Elias Crichell with releasing the holovid of the ambush. Caught between a rock and a hard place (they really needed the strength of the Wolves as the Jade Falcons had been severely wounded, but if the information got out about the ambush, then there was no way that Crichell would be ilKhan and resume the invasion of the innersphere. So, he tried to give up something but still declare the Wolves were gone, creating Clan Jade Wolf and assigning the former Wolves to it. Figuring, hey we can figure out how to deal with these idiots later once war has resumed. Except that pissed off Vlad more than anything, so when Crichell was elected ilKhan, Vlad (who was attending to the Grand Council) challenged Crichell to a Trial of Refusal, (stating that he was more politician then Warrior), and then killed him bare handed in a circle of equals. Vlad then turned to the other Khans and said "We're Clan Wolf again. Want to contest it? We'll kick your rear end as well" SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Aug 23, 2018 |
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Aug 23, 2018 01:53
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Just finished one of the new ebooks they put out in fiction, Legacy. 300 years of warfare for a Grasshopper, from the original designer to the day it was decommissioned and scrapped. Even if you don't agree with the timeline past 3025, it's a grand tour through Battletech history, and really kinda reinforces the "Life is Cheap, Mechs aren't", as it goes through 300 years of repairs, battles, getting more repairs, it's like your favorite axe where you've replaced the head twice and the handle three times, but it's still the same axe. Now multiply that by millions of parts.
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Sep 22, 2018 07:53
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If they're mercs, remember that dropships charge for tonnage, and also remind them that bigger mechs = more upkeep etcetera.
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Sep 26, 2018 08:24
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I got lance packs off NobleKnight for $15 each. (4 mechs in each Lance Pack) https://www.nobleknight.com/Search?text=Lance+Pack That will give you a pretty good head start towards having enough for a mega game (I have four packs hanging out on my RPG bookcase shelves right now)
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Nov 20, 2018 06:38
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Also, you may want to check out: http://warhansa.com/index.php/katalog/robomechs.html $15 for 1 mech is expensive, but it may fill in some needs for you (I just wish some of them didn't need assembly). And you have to do a little figuring out of what name they're referencing) SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Dec 6, 2018 |
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Dec 6, 2018 01:52
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Catalyst announced that the Beginner Box and the game of armored combat should be out next week (the 23rd). Also announced a bunch of new 35th anniversary BTech gear, including Hoodies (If they make one goon-sized, I am DEFINITELY getting it). https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/2019/01/16/preview-celebrate-milestone-anniversaries-for-battletech-and-shadowrun/
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Jan 17, 2019 02:11
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Don't know whether to consider this good news or just to shake my head: To Our Customers, Catalyst Game Labs management is aware that copies of the BattleTech Beginner Box are running critically low both among our retail partners and on the company’s web store. Expecting this unprecedented demand, we have already taken aggressive action to restock this product. A full reprint of the Beginner Box, of the same size as the initial order, has been completed overseas and is awaiting shipment during the first week of February. In addition, the popularity of the BattleTech and Shadowrun anniversary apparel has caused many sizes of both the t-shirt and hoodie for both lines to sell out. A robust re-order has been placed, and all sizes of these items should be back in stock in the next few weeks. We will follow-up with more details as they become available. Thank you for your patience. It almost sounds like "We only had enough money to order X copies, so now we can reorder and print out the rest of what we expected"
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Jan 31, 2019 01:31
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Cool. I just got my shipments of the two box sets. Kinda interesting that the box sets are 3025 tech only (they do have construction rules). I'll be dammed if I can figure out how to put the punchout standees together (you think they'd put a "Hey, this is how it works" in there :P) And of course, it made me get my TRO 3025 out to brainstorm orders of battle. Like: "What would be the best layout for a 3025 mercenary force to disrupt an outlying world (no pitched battles, just hit and run and fade, and basically make an rear end out of themselves until they summon enough to make them go away, and then repeat on the next planet" But the rule is you can only bring anything you can fit on one Union Dropship, and don't go overboard on stealing the best variant from every nation) My thoughts: See if we can convert four mech bays into vehicle containers, for base security and extra storage. Scout/Harasser Lance: Cicada (2A) Spider (5V) Panther (9R) Firestarter (FS9-H) Command Lance Enforcer (4R) Trebuchet (5N) Centurion (9-A) Hunchback (4G)
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Feb 1, 2019 05:04
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Pretty neat setup. Kinda wish we could do a Double Blind Let's Play, be kinda interesting to see what would happen. Goon on Goon Combat.
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Feb 2, 2019 21:42
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So, for those of you who don't follow Battletech fiction, I STRONGLY recommend reading Forever Faithful, Blaine Pardoe's latest novel which just released this week, which revisits some characters long thought dead, and the ending kinda says that the Wolves will find them surprised if/when they take Terra about them NOT being ilClan. BIG SPOILERS BELOW It revisits Trent, the "traitor" who gave the Inner Sphere the Exodus Road, the path that was taken in Task Force Serpent, and his nemesis Paul Moon, and how they together turned the remnants of the Smoke Jaguar into the Fidelis. The ending has the Fidelis landing on Terra, with Moon scattering Trent's ashes on Terra, and stating that they are the first clan to set foot on Terra, therefore when the Fidelis reemerge as Smoke Jaguar, they are ilClan.
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Feb 27, 2019 06:55
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Oh, it has an event even rarer then someone claiming ilClan. It has Victor Steiner-Davion admitting he was very wrong about something/someone. And calling himself arrogant and oblivious. For those of you who want to know what the epilogue was, I just copied it. Epilogue OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TERRA WORD OF BLAKE PROTECTORATE 22 AUGUST 3078 As the drop hatch of the Stalwart opened, Paul Moon saw the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. His Fidelis had drawn a special assignment, taking out a series of bridges along the Potomac to limit the Word of Blake’s response to the main landings. This was the kind of “special operations” assignment Devlin Stone had been giving them. He called his Fidelis “Stone’s Shadows,” and they fulfilled their promise with grim determination. Considered special forces, Stone’s Shadows were both feared and cursed in the Blakists’ mouths. Paul stepped down the gangway. “All units, remain aboard until I am done.” He reached the bottom of the gangway, but stopped short of standing on Terra. He opened his Elemental armor’s hatch and let the hot late-summer breeze of mankind’s homeworld hit him. Our people have waited long for this Great Redemption, as Inanna named it. Our chance to prove that we and we alone hold the true honor that the Clans claim to cherish so dearly. Moon pulled out a small metallic canister and opened it. “You were here first, my old comrade,” he said, spilling the contents onto the red clay of Terra. Trent’s ashes blew in the breeze across the dry grass. “You are the first of our people to touch Terra. This makes you the greatest of the Clan warriors and us the ilClan, regardless of what Devlin Stone and Prince Victor have been misled to think.” When the canister was empty, he tossed it into the distance. “We have remained faithful—and always will.” He closed his suit and activated the tactical channel again. “Fidelis—deploy!” Pardoe, Blaine Lee. BattleTech: Forever Faithful . Catalyst Game Labs. Kindle Edition. edit: also, It makes light of the theory that the Fidelis were Clan Wolverine. The Word of Blake Precentor who tried to threaten the Fidelis into joining their side on Blake's behest gets led away after being easily mousetrapped going "IF THEY'RE NOT THE WOLVERINES, WHAT ARE THEY? SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Feb 28, 2019 |
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Feb 28, 2019 01:58
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He is, in the current time frame. This book covers the time after the Annihilation of the Smoke Jaguars, and what Moon and Trent were doing. The Epilogue above covers 3078. This part (and a couple parts where he is writing about this whole thing), comes from VSD writing the story of the conflicts he was involved with. Epilogue Spoiler: SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO TERRA REPUBLIC OF THE SPHERE 11 DECEMBER 3130 Victor Steiner-Davion looked at the words he had just typed, narrowing his eyes and squinting through his reading glasses. “‘Little did I know that my ignorant mistreatment of Trent would form the Fidelis…a unit integral to our success in winning the Jihad. The most formidable monsters we face in life are those we create. My own arrogance and obliviousness inadvertently forged a weapon I would need to wield later in life against the Word.’” It was the final paragraph of three pages discussing Trent and his role in excruciating detail, including all of the parts Paul Moon had told him. Paul told me I needed to honor him. This does that. Then, with a deliberate stab of his finger, Victor deleted the last pages, back up to the point where Trent was thought to have died fighting the Ice Hellions. They were gone—erased. He left in the battle results and Trent’s role in the Grand Refusal, how he had been critical to the Nova Cats’ victory. Gone was the material about the Fidelis. Deleted was the untold story of Stone’s Shadows, Wayside V, and the truth of how Trent had really died fighting the Goliath Scorpions. There was a sense of loss as he deleted the material he had spent so long documenting. The universe is not ready for the full truth…not yet. The Fidelis lived on New Earth in blissful isolation. They are a ticking time bomb. At some point they will reveal their origins.I have no idea how the Inner Sphere or the Clans will react to that. But I cannot be the instrument of that revelation. He saved the file, the deletions lost forever. Why do I feel like I just deleted a part of my soul? In the early morning hours, Victor settled back in his seat. I was wrong about you Trent…we all were. But me most of all. Pardoe, Blaine Lee. BattleTech: Forever Faithful . Catalyst Game Labs. Kindle Edition.
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Feb 28, 2019 03:10
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In the latest coming releases, it looks like House Arano is still firm on date, but two things I noticed. https://bg.battletech.com/books/upcoming-releases/ One) Alpha Strike Commander's Edition looks to be back on the chart. Two) They say all core books will be reprinted by August (I'm assuming GenCon release) (and conspicuously DON'T include A Time of War, the RPG book)
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Feb 28, 2019 21:48
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Bunch of new stuff out or will be out this week including: Four BattleMat sets (talk about timing, the one week I am completely utterly and totally broke, this goes through and probably will sell out before I can purchase, a bunch of new mapsets, the Kell Hounds fiction novella trilogy, lapel pins (seemingly already sold out?) and a new PDF Turning Point (Fronc Reaches). Along with the beginner box back in stock, seems like it's going well for Btech.
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Mar 19, 2019 04:57
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Any one who's surprised that House Arano's been delayed till 5/31, raise your hand. (silence)
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Apr 27, 2019 00:02
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Sign me up :P
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May 7, 2019 07:59
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Actually, something like Ace Darwin's Whip-its would be fun: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Ace_Darwin%27s_WhipIts (basically, he would accept a contract, and only then see who he could get for that mission. He went from a lance to a couple of companies Maybe something with a random pool of recruits for people who want to join, and then if someone wants to stick around for another mission, they keep their character.
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May 11, 2019 05:53
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Holy poo poo. Look at this list of mechs available (either as addons, or base.. sounds like they'll be selling lance packs too, but you'll get more of them in the KS) Inner Sphere mechs available as addons Warhammer Rifleman Phoenix Hawk Wasp Marauder Archer Valkyrie Stinger Atlas, Marauder II, Orion, Crusader (not yet unlocked, 25K away) Banshee, Grasshopper Centurion Hachetman Clan Mechs (If not already noted, add-ons) Executioner Timber Wolf, Nova, Grendel, Adder (Base set) 2 points of elementals (Base set) Dire Wolf Stormcrow Shadowcat Mist Lynx Summoner Elemental Star Packs (5 Points) Gargoyle, Mad Dog, Hellbringer, Viper, Ice Ferret Fire Falcon, Arctic Cheetah, Hellion, Battle Cobra, Black Lanner
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Jul 17, 2019 23:33
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So, for $150 you get Clan Invasion Box Set Challenge Coin 4 lance/star packs (because of the double forces) Clan Faction pack (t-shirt, etcetera) Hell of a deal.
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Jul 17, 2019 23:48
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Half a Million in a day. Safe to say this wasn't what anyone was probably expecting. Edit: MOAR MECHS! The 500K Mechs Blackjack, Panther, Wolfhound, Jenner (inner sphere) (+1 salvage box) 550K (not earned yet) Kodiak, Supernova, Marauder IIC, Warhammer IIC, Hunchback C 600K (Not earned yet) Whitworth, Longbow, Trebuchet, Bombadier (+1 salvage box) SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 10:00 on Jul 18, 2019 |
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Jul 18, 2019 08:50
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Dr. Lunchables posted:Is there a running list of all the lance packs currently available? It currently looks like there's a dozen lance/star packs right now. Each line o f the posts I made was it's own pack, but I'll repost: Inner Sphere Packs (If chosen as a reward and not an addon, you get a salvage box random extra mech) Warhammer Rifleman Phoenix Hawk Wasp Marauder Archer Valkyrie Stinger Atlas, Marauder II, Orion, Crusader Banshee, Grasshopper Centurion Hachetman Blackjack, Panther, Wolfhound, Jenner Whitworth, Longbow, Trebuchet, Bombadier Sarabus, Firestarter (Omni), Axman, Berserker (750K) Clan Mechs (If not already noted, add-ons) Executioner Timber Wolf, Nova, Grendel, Adder (Base set) 2 points of elementals (Base set) Dire Wolf Stormcrow Shadowcat Mist Lynx Summoner Elemental Star Packs (5 Points) Gargoyle, Mad Dog, Hellbringer, Viper, Ice Ferret Fire Falcon, Arctic Cheetah, Hellion, Battle Cobra, Black Lanner Kodiak, Supernova, Marauder IIC, Warhammer IIC, Hunchback IIC Howler, Solitaire, Incubus, Pack Hunter, Horned Owl (675K) SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Jul 18, 2019 |
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Jul 18, 2019 21:45
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The latest update goes into how they're building out the star and lance packs. (it's a backer only update, so I'm going to quote only that secrtion. They also have a vote up to ask what already announced mech would you rather they NOT make and which one you'd want to replace it.Update posted:
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Jul 19, 2019 20:58
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Defiance Industries posted:What are these motherfuckers talking about Look right above it. The Panther, Wolfhound and Jenner are excellent examples of great designs used on tabletops often.
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Jul 20, 2019 03:01
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After reviewing the survey, here's some CGL-proposed changes to the Lance packs https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15gzi0ah_F2xKHcsN1KNnArS0kb38f_UZIbYEi5kcfuo/edit#gid=0
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Jul 29, 2019 04:17
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New Btech RPG announced at GenCon Mechwarrior: Destiny https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/battletech-mechwarrior-destiny.850287/ Nothing but the title known
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Aug 1, 2019 20:40
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General Battuta posted:The best clan is Steel Viper for their arc from ‘sane Warden politics and well trained soldiers’ to ‘build a super star destroyer and directly cause the mass genocide of the homeworld clans.’ The worst clan is Snow Raven because their gimmick (warship fleets) is inherently setting-breaking so all they get to do is gradually lose their fleet. The clans are at their best, story-wise, when pushed to absolute insanity. The Vipers death was the most ironic. It's like a man turning on a steamroller and running over everyone.. and then getting off to gloat and not realizing they were now in the path of the steamroller
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Aug 3, 2019 06:30
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Actually, if you look at TRO Succession Wars, they hint at much the same thing (IlKhan, restricted warfare, etcetera) edit: lKhan, You hold in your hands the requested compilation of BattleMechs in operation across the Inner Sphere, beginning in the Age of War, continuing through the time of the First Star League and the Succession Wars, and up to the eve of Operation REVIVAL. Reviewing the histories of these BattleMechs brings home the wasteful destruction the Inner Sphere barbarians visited upon the Star League as they fought over its carcass. Truly, the Great Kerensky was wise to foresee the tragic fate of the realm he spent his life protecting and securing. Only his dreadfully accurate predictions of the future provided the foundation for our eventual return, and the restoration of the grandeur of the Star League. His insights were not the product of mystical visions or even intelligence gathering. Rather, the Great Father had closely studied humanity’s history, and knew all too well the horrors it could achieve when fueled by ambition. Just as he employed his grasp of history to set us on our path, we too must study the past, so that we can secure the progress of our League over these past decades. Of course, we must discount the so-called Second Star League as the sham it was. That abomination rightfully fell of its own accord, as the petty members drive to dominate their ancient foes prevented any true reconciliation that would enable the establishment of a League worthy of the name. That this sham League was assembled specifically to fend off we Clans, the only true guardians of the Star League’s legacy, revealed it as a farce. It also ensured its ultimate fate, dead due to apathy of voluntary member-states—lighting the match to the conflagration which became known as the Jihad. The Word of Blake—a blighted and corrupt organization with foundations in invented mysticism and worship of technology—further delayed our ascension with their vile machinations and wastefulness. The ultimate defeat of that cult caused a malaise and stagnation within our ranks. It took another seven decades for us to complete Kerensky’s quest: To reclaim Terra and re-establish the Star League. Understanding the future of the League, of course, requires studying the past to prevent errors and tragedies from being repeating. This compilation aids that study. Told in blood and myomer, endo-steel and coherent light, the Inner Sphere’s history is etched into the chassis and cockpits of BattleMechs. From the vacuum of space to the depths of the seas, from mountaintops to the warrens of underground complexes, the BattleMech has reigned supreme on every battlefield humans have created. The selection of Operation REVIVAL as an end point for this review is intentional. Many new BattleMechs have been introduced since that time, but our analysts have been able to evaluate them as they developed, and their reports are superior to those of questionable Inner Sphere historians and two-century old Wolfnet databases. They are certainly superior to the earliest ComStar-penned treatises, which favored obfuscation and deliberate disinformation. Reviewing the BattleMechs herein, I was struck once more by the wisdom of retaining their designations, outward appearance, and combat role among the ’Mechs employed by the ilClan today. Honoring the legacy of the Star League required adherence to some of its traditions, making these machines the ancestors to our current ’Mechs, just as the original League is the ancestor to our own. Moreover, the re-employment of these older BattleMechs in the arena system has helped quell the inherent hostility and intransigence of the freebirth masses of the Inner Sphere. The enormous change they have experienced has been eased both by these gladiatorial contests and by the sight of familiar ’Mechs competing in them. Such machines also provide an effective baseline for the evaluation of potential MechWarriors in the contests, given the prohibition against the use of modern technology by the faux warriors. Finally, the familiarity of these ’Mechs provides a bridge for Spheroid citizens between the past and the present. One wonders, for example, whether the feats of Gunslinger Jázon Marik became so legendary across the Inner Sphere in part because they came at the controls of a Thunderbolt. In this way, these ancient BattleMechs have come full circle. Once, they were used to tear down the First League and carry out some of the worst atrocities ever committed by mankind. Now, they tie us to the glories of the past while achieving new triumphs in the League’s name, and help vent the ancient animosities of the Inner Sphere. Rather than view this document as evidence of the barbarism of those you now rule, perhaps consider it an epitaph of that barbarism. —Star League Loremaster Stephan Roshak 9 July 3250 SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Aug 4, 2019 |
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Aug 4, 2019 20:01
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New fiction out, Redemption Rift, set in 3139, which kicks off the Draconis Combine-Davion war in fiction, featuring Wolf's Dragoons. Don't want to spoil the story, but it wraps up a storyline a century in the making, as the story ends with the Ryuken getting their first general since someone named Testuhara...
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Sep 26, 2019 22:26
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drat. I hadn't seen or heard anything about the new RPG beta dropping  Now I just have to find someone who has it and issue a Trial of Possession for it :P
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Sep 26, 2019 22:55
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or a colored poker chip underneath (also useful for movement modifiers)
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Mar 18, 2020 08:55
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Fidel Cuckstro posted:I guess it's good to be Morgan Kell! Considering he hid the Archon (before she was the Archon) from Assassins, and went on a wild "pirate" rampage that was still talked about 20 years later (public never knew), the Kells were high in Katrina (the original/ONLY Katrina) Steiner's opinion. edit: to elaborate (from sarna) In 3004, Morgan, Katrina Steiner, and his cousin (future husband of Katrina) Arthur Luvon were attacked by Lyran Commonwealth Intelligence and Loki (the Lyran FBI/CIA) on Poulsbo. Then-Archon Alessandro Steiner had sent forces to assassinate Katrina due to her opposition to his Operation Concentrated Weakness. Members of the loyal opposition force, Heimdall, saved them and allowed them to flee to the Periphery. This was made famous as they took on the personae of the Red Corsair and her henchmen. Acting as undisclosed pirates through the Periphery, they re-entered the Inner Sphere through the Free Worlds League's border. Leading to Katrina's return to Tharkad and helping her to "retire" Alessandro. So, yeah, he probably earned a couple regiments out of the Lyrans. As well as the ultimate Blank Check. A piece of paper that read: “Deny this man, Morgan Kell, nothing. Katrina Steiner, 22 July, 3007 ” (her second act as Archon) SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 02:10 on May 9, 2020 |
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May 9, 2020 02:07
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So, they announced what's coming soon.. and uh.. is this CGL? Are we sure they haven't been replaced with.. I dunno, more people to write all this stuff that's coming out? https://bg.battletech.com/news/battletech-state-of-the-game-june-2020/ June Turning Point: Tyrfing (a five way battle for SLDF treasure during the first succession war) Battletech Recognition Guide: ilClan (22 volumes. Released every two weeks until august, and then picking up again in late august). each installment will have a new omnimech/battlemech, as well as classic designs updated with post-3085 tech. A lot of this will be compiled into a print project afterwards. Also miniatures will be coming from Iron Wind to support the new mechs Grey Watch Covenant: Set in dark ages, on Northwind (fiction) Rogue Academy: Book two of the Young Adult series (fiction) Rock of the Republic: Another Pardoe novella, bringing the timeline forward dealing with the Republic Remmnant outside the Fortress now that the Fortress is down. (Fiction) Icons of War: I assume this is fiction, but man, it sounds like a great ATOW campaign: The story of how Vlad Ward rescued Alexander Kerensky's DNA/Body before the Wolves left during the wars of reaving. Technical Readout: Golden Century (all the mechs of the early days of the Clans) July: Tech Readout: Irregulars (the one offs, cobbled together frankenmechs, and the like) Touring the Stars: Kaumberg Spotlight on: Thermo Police (talk about bad timing: here's the pitch: Beyond the edge of acknowledged civilization lie the Outworlds Wastes. Planets abandoned by the Star League centuries ago. Governments shattered by apathy, obscurity, and the march of time struggle to provide even the most basic needs of their people. From these meager surroundings one small, but zealously dedicated unit stands to serve and protect the remnants of their realm. The Thermo Police may be enrolled as mercenaries but in truth they patrol these lawless stars seeking to bring the order they once knew. Specializing in non-lethal tactics, and trained beyond the typical pirates and bandits prowling the Wastes, their next encounter could be from past the distant stars they call home. But will it be a threat or an opportunity?) Honor's Gauntlet: Fiction dealing with the Jade Falcons, and the Pryde bloodname. (yet again) August: Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade (part of a series of products dealing with the Goliath Scorpion empire's campaign against the Hanseatic League) Hour of the Wolf: Novel-length fiction dealing with the Wolf clan's drive on Terra September Shrapnel Issue 2 Brush Wars: Operation Gurerro (the Marik invasion of the FedCom after Thomas Marik found out that Victor Steiner-Davion had swapped out his son who died) Battletech blueprints, Volume 1 (Dire Wolf, Timber Wolf, Warhammer, Phoenix Hawk) And in the pipeline for 4Q 2020 and beyond: A series of Brush Wars releases dealing with (amongst other things): the Burrock Absorption, the Battle of Dahlgren, the St. Ives War, and the First Combine-Ghost Bear War. Chaos Campaign: Battle of Tukayyid Blood Will Tell by Jason Schmetzer Spotlight On: The Stealths Hunting Season by Philip A. Lee Spotlight On: Snord’s Irregulars Rogue Academy #3: Crimson Dawn by Jennifer Brozek Touring the Stars POD compilation Spotlight On: Payne’s Raiders Map Pack: Alien Worlds IlClan MechCommander’s Handbook drat. my hands hurt from typing that all out.
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Jun 9, 2020 22:27
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Remember that giant list of releasaes I wowed at a couple pages ago? Add to it. Mechwarrior: Destiny (the psuedo-Time of War replacement) is out in PDF and print. edit: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317268/MechWarrior-Destiny SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Jun 12, 2020 |
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Jun 12, 2020 23:02
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